GameStop plans 3,600 midnight openings for Mass Effect 3

by Mike Schramm on Feb 29th 2012 9:45PM

Over 3,600 of GameStop's stores around the US will be open at midnight on Tuesday, March 6 (or: late at night on Monday, if you prefer) for the release of Mass Effect 3. GameStop will host special events all over the country, with special streaming footage coming from the big events in Edmonton in Canada, and here in the US in West Hollywood, Chicago, and Boston.

Most of the usual GameStop launch rigamarole will be applicable, so you'll get extra trade-in credit on games you bring in that day for Mass Effect 3, and any pre-orders will get the in-game N7 "Valkyrie" Assault Rifle and N7 "Defender" Armor. Finally, anyone picking up Mass Effect 3 at before March 11 can also get $50 off a Kinect sensor, so you too can yell things at your crewmates -- and have them respond.

Source: BusinessWire

Tags: gamestop, kinect, mass-effect-3, microsoft, pc, playstation, ps3, xbox

Reader Comments (50)

The question is, will the Midnight Launch have exclusive DLC?

*runs and hides*

@The Harbinger of Pie
Of course! It's a Mass Effect event, and we wouldn't want to attend if there wasn't!

@The Harbinger of Pie

I'm gonna shoot you in the knee!!!!

@The Harbinger of Pie

Gears of War had midnight DLC... so why not Mass Effect?

I can't wait for the midnight launch at my local GAME store here in the UK.

...oh wait. :(

@Glossophobia

Yeah, I was gonna say...

I mean I didn't want to be the one to break it to you.

Hope I can make it. I love experiencing a launch with others as passionate as I, when we're all on the cusp of 12, and BAM. It's out. I love that.

Pft. Release day delivery means I get to be lazy about it.

@Faceless Troll

Same here. Amazon FTW.

@Faceless Troll

You guys are missing out.

Nothing beats waiting outside with strangers in a long line (in the cold winter air as well) because you didn't arrive 2 hours early. Then you finally get the game after waiting 30 minutes, and then someone mugs you on the way to your car.

@DreamingDarkly

On the way out of my local Gamestop the night of the Skyrim launch, a short, husky nerd barked at my girlfriend. True story.

@DreamingDarkly

That's my favorite part of the experience!

@DreamingDarkly

For me nothing beats the 3 losers who actually go to the midnight releases 5 hours before midnight (that aren't Halo/COD, because they are usually huge in my area) and then I roll in at 11:55 and still manage to get out with-in five minutes of them.

Edmonton representin'! But holy crap. I'm super glad I quarantined myself from everything ME3 related. Gonna be so epic.

@King Johngie the Fourth

Oh man, is my hometown of Toronto losing it's luster?

I value sleep far, far too much.

Staying up, going to Gamestop, waiting in lines, buying it and getting home maybe an hour later just to be exhausted and have to be ready for work 6 hours later? Eh.

I find it more exciting to come home to a new package lol

@Softserve I'm the same way. I went to the Skyrim release (my first ever midnight release) and ended up regretting it the entire next day at work. The game was amazing, but not worth the amount of time wasted waiting in lines. To the people that are willing to go through it, more power to you. I just don't find it worth it.

Though with ME3 I won't be picking it up until this term has ended for me. When my choice becomes studying for finals or saving the very galaxy I know what I'll pick every time.

@(Unverified)

The galaxy right?

What a silly social ritual this is...

@Apakal
I know, but i bet it all started to compete with places like wal-mart that are open 24 hours

@sonic2041

You have a Walmart that's open 24-hours? Which state?

@SBMfromLA

I was under the impression that all Wal-Mart's were open 24 hours. I live in Florida.

@Apakal It is, isn't it? I enjoy it, when I can participate. Gives me a chance to bullshit for a couple hours with a few absolute strangers that I know dead certain we've got something in common to talk about.

Unless they have punch and pie, I'll wait until Tuesday afternoon.

I suppose those with credit cards can and will just opt for the digital download version.

I'm still saddened by the fact that they (meaning about all gaming companies) charge the same price for the digital and boxed retail copy. It still seems like all digital versions of games should be given at least a few bucks off.

so they are basically having a deal that if you buy a Kinect at full price you get a free copy of mass effect 3? not bad, not bad at all hmmm

@lawsmar you actually don't have to buy ME3 to get the 50 dollars off a kinect. Gamestop has been selling them at that price for a couple weeks now.

I'm not really in any hurry to pick this up. I def will eventually, but I have too much on my back log right now, plus I haven't even got KOA yet. Shep, you're gonna have to wait this one out a little

I hope everyone put down their 5 dollars for the pre-ordering your spot in line. It guarantees at least one more costume for shepard.

You know, I used to think that midnight launches were populated with the likes of Joystiq commenters: witty, knowledgeable game enthusiasts with sometimes more passion than sense but an overall good nature. This is not the case. It's like there's a f*cking segregationist policy in effect the moment you walk through the door; smelly neckbeards to the right and stupid dudebros to the left, if you please. I usually show up at 12:20, wait in my car until the third to last person is about to leave, and walk in as soon as the last person is walking out. You would not believe the f*cking misogynistic, ignorant, basement-dwelling twat-talk that I have heard at midnight releases. It validates everything negative anyone has ever said about gamers as a whole.

@A Sandwich I know EXACTLY what you mean. I usually go solo to these things because I live in a beach town in florida and theres one thing I don't fear is a bunch of white boys in wife beaters thinking they're something they're not. The best is the nonsensical conversations that go on with the geeks that run in a group I just wish I had a STFU ray gun to blast at everyone so I could at least wait in peace. Oh and there's nothing like having to occasional DB peel out in his civic/neon/cobalt/focus/generic 4 banger. After skyrim and MW3's launch I think I'll be staying home this time I only want SFxT anyways.

@quicksilverbalt

"Oh and there's nothing like having to occasional DB peel out in his civic/neon/cobalt/focus/generic 4 banger."

There's always one of them. I don't understand it. Kids these days. GET OFF MY LAWN.

"You would not believe the f*cking misogynistic, ignorant, basement-dwelling twat-talk that I have heard at midnight releases. It validates everything negative anyone has ever said about gamers as a whole."

This is an unbelievably accurate statement, and it saddens me. I like to consider myself a fairly tolerant person, but the hambeasts that infest these launches give "gamers" a bad name. It figures that the only times they come out of their basement is to pick up a game that the rest of us might want to play, too.

And then peel out in their Geo.

@A Sandwich

I've honestly never experienced this. I go to quite a few midnight launches and usually the people there are just regular impatient people. I usually arrive anywhere between 10-30 minutes before midnight and I get my copy within 5 minutes even when the line is about 50 people long.

Now if only they had released this on the vita... we need more games bioware D:

@Midnitte I LOVE my Vita but this game is meant to be played on a huge screen. Still I'll be passing up ME3 even though that was the reason I bought a 360, now I'll just wait until the Ultimate Edition comes out on my PS3, too much DLC that I feel I'll miss out on something.

Yeah I have plenty of games to keep me busy until the ME3 GOTY edition comes out.

Same old sh#t thought the demo sucked for mass effect 3 got ssx on it's way instead and ps vita keeping me happy will wait till it s 5 quid and give it a whirl

I wonder how many people will show up for Street Fighter X Tekken instead (or as well)?

@chfuji
My friends doing that, just him...
Hes going to have to listen to everyone else talking about how awesome garrus is.

This will most likely go on for weeks, just like skyrim.

I can be patient and get my special edition the next day from Amazon.

I heard recently that if you vote for the Democrats you get exclusive DLC, and if you vote Republican you just get herpes.

I thought this game was out 2 weeks ago already. That shows how much I know and care about the game, not hating on it, just not my cup of tea. Games these days are getting like movie ads, you see so much about them that after awhile you think they've come and gone and they're not in the theater already. I thought Bioshock Infinite was out already too, then read the Oct 2012 release date. I have to say there isn't one game on the horizon that I want and that is the first time in 36 years of vid playing that I've experienced this. Uh oh.... I think I'm finally growing up!

@Milf Biggenson

I doubt it.

I preordered at the gamestop near work so I think I'll be an adult and pick it up on my in. So I can stare at it all day and wish I'd called in sick! Haha at least I have Wednesday's and Thursday's off!

I've gone to two GameStop midnight release "parties" and they both sucked. They did nothing special and I felt awkward being there. Almost dead silent and people just standing in a line. Yay! Midnight release party!

The Microsoft Store on the other hand, they know how to throw a party. I went there for the Gears3 release and they had a DJ, free pizza and soda, about 20 consoles set up to play Gears3 hours before it was officially released, everyone got t-shirts, stickers and a $25 gift card, and they gave away decent prizes in a raffle.

@fohf

That sounds like a really great event, and a lot of fun. Comparing the two is unfair though considering there aren't nearly as many Microsoft stores as there is GameStops. I love in Miami, FL and have no knowledge of a Microsoft store in my area, but I know of at least 6 or 7 GameStops.

I'm going. This will be my 6th midnight release, but only my 2nd one not going solo. I don't know about you guys, but I get a certain enjoyment out of seeing and hearing all the stupidity that happens at midnight releases. My friends and I feed off of it and it gives us much to laugh at and mock while were waiting in line. Makes the wait go pretty fast actually, then there's the awesome moment you finally have the game in your hand and you get to leave. Then we all get home play our game, and sit in an XBL party and talk about all of the stupidity we witnessed. Ahhh.. Midnight releases.

I love going to midnight releases. I usually have fun just discussing games etc. with fellow gamers. The whole spectacle is pretty exciting to me. The last midnight release I attended was Gears 3. A group of dudes and I ended up discussing the novels while we waited in line. It was cool. I even met a few gamers who ended up becoming friends on live. I'll definately be there for Mass Effect 3.

live in Miami, FL*

The first and only gamestop launch i went to was for Grand Theft Auto IV a few years back and it was....AWKWARD. Never again.

Mass Effect 3

GameStop plans 3,600 midnight openings for Mass Effect 3

Reader Comments (50)

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 9:49PM The Harbinger of Pie said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:02PM Bane of Toast said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:09PM FlashJS said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:20PM SirUrza said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 9:58PM Glossophobia said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:00PM Shadowbender said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 9:59PM Shadowbender said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:02PM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:09PM FlashJS said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 11:35PM DreamingDarkly said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 12:53AM lolkeits said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 8:14AM Soldier4Hire said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 11:26AM manbearchef said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:10PM King Johngie the Fourth said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 9:31AM JasonA said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:17PM Softserve said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 11:15PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 11:33PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:19PM Apakal said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:29PM sonic2041 said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:52PM SBMfromLA said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 11:26PM Grey said

Posted: Mar 2nd 2012 10:50AM ShockLobster said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 10:23PM FinalFantasyXIIIsucks said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 11:06PM SBMfromLA said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 11:16PM lawsmar said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 4:55AM JGGiant915 said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 11:31PM esbeekay said

Posted: Feb 29th 2012 11:41PM FlameChucks76 said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 12:18AM A Sandwich said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 1:55AM quicksilverbalt said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 2:11AM Patton said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 12:06PM Awesomaniac said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 12:31AM Midnitte said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 8:32AM The angry pro consumer gaming ga said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 3:45AM Hawaii Jeff said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 5:31AM Frontlinedave said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 6:53AM chfuji said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 12:20PM Rubbishy Me said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 9:30AM sammo21 said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 10:21AM CountNoobula said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 10:30AM Milf Biggenson said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 1:49PM A Sandwich said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 10:44AM bizzarospeak said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 11:47AM fohf said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 12:11PM Awesomaniac said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 12:00PM BlackendO1 said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 12:06PM Wise Men said

Posted: Mar 1st 2012 12:12PM Awesomaniac said

Posted: Mar 2nd 2012 12:08PM iceveiled said

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